Establishing a Resilient Shoreline to Protect Against the Destruction of Sea Level Rise

About CESP’s Resilient Shoreline Program

An urgent area CESP is addressing is the effect of sea rise along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. The predicted two meter (6.5 feet) sea rise over the coming decades, along with the increase in storms and king tides, will cause massive erosion, habitat destruction and flooding along our shoreline. Whole sections of freeways (80, 580) will be inundated, beaches lost, lowland communities flooded and habitat destroyed if we do not take steps now.

Photo by Patricia Jones

CESP is in the organizing and study stage of addressing sea rise on our shoreline. We are working with other organizations and elected officials from Fremont to Hercules, examining practical approaches to green infrastructure solutions that can mitigate sea level rise and prevent coastal destruction. This added focus on a resilient shoreline is a natural extension of our 30-year effort to protect open space and develop a unified shoreline park along the Bay’s eastern shoreline.

Climate change adds urgency to expanding the amount of shoreline protected from development. Open space along the shoreline provides expanded opportunities to implement mitigation and larger-scale restoration efforts compared to areas with development abutting the shoreline.

What is a Resilient Shoreline?

A Resilient Shoreline relies on preserving and strengthening the natural shoreline, including expanded marshes, systems to address rising sea levels due to climate change, storm surges and King Tides.

Why a Resilient Shoreline?

Climate change adds urgency to expanding the amount of shoreline protected from development. Open space along the shoreline provides expanded opportunities to implement mitigation and larger-scale restoration efforts compared to areas with development abutting the shoreline. Adding marshes and other recommended natural shoreline is a major step in mitigating sea rise.

Recent Events

CESP held its largest Visualizing Sea Rise event as part of Earth Day on April 21, 2018. 300 plus people were at the Albany shoreline.

Sneak peek of a few photos — many more in our gallery! Click here to view the photo gallery.

This image simulation shows the “new” Albany shoreline with 2 meter sea rise at King Tide

A special thanks to California State Parks Foundation’s 20th Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup presented by PG&E, sponsors of the event, and to our partners, The Watershed Project, City of Albany, East Bay Regional Park District, Clif Bar, and GROUNDWORKS Office.

CESP Visualized Sea-level Rise in Richmond during the North Richmond Shoreline Festival on October 7, 2017.

CESP held the second Visualizing Sea-level Rise event in McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, Berkeley on July 29, 2017.

The Berkeley shoreline with 2-meters of sea-level rise. Image produced by GROUNDWORKS Office

CESP held the first Visualizing Sea-level Rise Event in the Jack London neighborhood, Oakland on April 22, 2017.

Jack London Square, Oakland with 2-meters of sea-level rise. Image by GROUNDWORKS Office.

The first Visualizing Sea-level Rise event was a success. We raised awareness about sea-level rise along Oakland’s waterfront and engaged approximately 30 volunteers. The event was featured on 4 media outlets, KGO-TV, NBC Bay Area, The Pioneer (CSU East Bay’s newspaper) and KPFA-FM. Click here for the KPFA-FM newscast; Robert Cheasty’s interview begins at 9 minutes and 51 seconds.Special thanks to speakers:

This awareness project showcases what will happen if nothing is done to address sea level rise due to climate change. We believe that our cities, counties and the state need to take action now by seeking funding to implement Resilient Shoreline solutions to combat sea level rise.